


The Adventurous Mermaid

by Avanalae



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: M/M, Mentioned Others - Freeform, Obligatory Mermaid AU, Pirate Jason, mermaid Tim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-12-31 11:51:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12131895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avanalae/pseuds/Avanalae
Summary: Tim's interest in the human is purely scholarly. ...Really.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted December 2011.

If you had asked anyone of the community, they all would have said that the most adventurous Royal boy was Richard.

But that was just because they didn’t know everything about Timothy.

Tim was actually the most ignored of all the Royals.

He blended into the background easily. With his shy personality and dark blue coloring, he just was hard to notice.

But Tim didn’t mind because that just meant no one would notice his adventures to the surface.

They were about half a day’s swim away from the harbor of a busy town and Tim would go there often. He would hide and just watch the humans go about their business.

His favorite place to go, however, was a deserted island about a couple hours swim away.

He enjoyed resting against the rocks of the beach and soaking up the sunlight. He made necklaces out of the shells he found and gave them to his sister Cassandra and his friend Stephanie.

Tim was very intelligent – perhaps more so than their father, Bruce. So Tim knew the language of the humans, though he could not speak it himself. He also knew how to avoid them. He could figure a person out with just a glance, understand the subtle, and use his knowledge well.

But that all changed when he first saw Captain Todd.

__

He had been at the harbor that day, hiding and watching as usual.

When the people grew nervous, Tim became curious and slipped out a bit, enough to see a large ship with bright red and black coloring pulling into the dock. The sails were red and a flag with a red skull crossed by two guns flew high above it.

Tim knew that was a pirate ship, and he could tell that the people on the dock knew it, too. They actually might know who it was, too, and Tim mourned the fact that he couldn’t just ask.

Instead, he dove deep and swam closer to the ship, making sure to avoid the anchor. He hid under a nearby pier so that he could see the people leaving the ship.

They certainly didn’t look like the other pirates he’d seen. These men were in good shape and looked very healthy. They also wore good, durable clothing and they seemed… Tim frowned. They seemed happy?

He shakes his head and looks back to watch some of the men exit the ship.

There’s a tall red head wearing a bandana with a bow on his back. He’s grinning and laughing, nudging a woman with his elbow.

Tim blinks.

This woman has so much red hair that it nearly trails behind her on the ground. It’s massive and curly and Tim can see that some of it is tied up – possibly what’s keeping it off the ground. She’s scantily clad, but he can tell she’s an excellent fighter from the way she moves.

The two redheads turn and Tim looks over.

He’s tall, taller than both the woman and the other man. His build is muscular and broad, features strong and handsome. His hair is short and black, with a streak of white running through his bangs. Tim finds himself moving closer, much too close. But it’s worth it.

“Captain Todd.”

Tim can’t stop staring, even as the trio leaves the dock to wander the city.

Only when it turns to dusk does he realize what’s happening.

He refuses to believe he has any attraction for a human of all things.

About to leave, something in him wonders what Captain Todd might be doing.

And Tim finds himself hiding at the dock once more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted December 2011.

Tim is at his favorite island today.

It’s his favorite because it’s rather far from his home, so he can be sure that no one would find him if they ever came looking. It’s also very beautiful; the landscape untouched by humans and filled with so many plants and creatures that Tim has learned so much from just watching.

There are rocks surrounding the entire island for a mile except for one area, big enough for a ship to enter. But for as long as Tim has been watching, no ship has actually made it. So he’s safe from that too.

It’s a perfect place to be alone.

And that’s why he’s there today.

Dick had been bugging him recently, trying to get him to make friends with Father’s youngest child – his only biological son, Damian. But he knows that he’ll never get along with the little brat, considering how the child hates him even when he’s done nothing to him.

Tim huffs and rolls over on the rock he’s sunbathing on. He hides his face in his folded arms and the tip of his tail flips and splashes water. Just  _thinking_ about Damian irritates him.

The sun feels warm and comforting on his back, though and Tim sighs, closing his eyes. He considers his sister, Cassandra. He had been the youngest before Damian had come along, though Cass wasn’t too much older than him. She is his closest friend and confidant, they had a sad number of things in common, making them closer than the others.

She’s also the only one who knows of this place.

Tim sighs and sits up, stretching his arms over his head and flexing his deep blue tail. He should probably be going back soon-

_Rustle. SNAP._

Tim jerks and spins around, nearly falling from the rock. There’s someone on the beach, not far from him. A tall, broad figure…

Their eyes meet.

It’s Captain Todd. Tim remembers him. Could never stop thinking about him since that day Tim saw him at the docks.

They’re frozen, staring at each other for a long moment. Todd’s eyes flicker to Tim’s tail and the boy snaps out of his trance. He quickly turns and dives into the water –  _“Wait!”_ – and hides behind the large rock.

 _Oh goddess. A human had seen him. A human had_ seen _him!_

Tim peeked up from the water, looking around the rock to where the man was still standing. He seemed to be frozen and Tim’s heart stuttered when he saw the man’s expression to be heartbroken.

Of all the things Tim knew, in his impressive intellect, he couldn’t think of a way to deal with this. He hides fully behind the rock again and hides his face in his hands.

He was absolutely  _clueless_.

Sand shifts and crunches as heavy boots step across the beach. Then there’s a soft thump and a groan. Tim, slightly worried, peeks out from behind the rock again.

The pirate is sitting on the beach, legs bent up in front of him with his arms resting on his knees. He’s staring out at the ocean and he looks wistful.

Tim takes the moment to really take the man in.

Short black hair with a white streak, revealed as Todd removes his tricorne and runs a hand through the strands. Tim subconsciously pulls on the ends of his shoulder-length black hair, always so wet and matted when he’s not in the water.

The man’s eyes are green, with hints of blue, like a mix between the sea and the sky. Tim’s own are just a simple blue.

He’s muscular and broad, strong and a lot like Bruce. Not like Tim, who is so small and thin.

Todd sighs and suddenly speaks, “I know you’re still there.” Tim flinches. “Can you…” he sighs, “I’m sorry for scarin’ you.”

This time when Tim looks out from behind the rock, he does so until he knows the human would be able to see him. When he sees, the man smiles brightly and Tim blinks.

Tim still doesn’t know what to do. He knows what he  _wants_ to do, but that’s not necessarily what he  _should_  do.

He peeks out a bit more and Todd’s smile brightens impossibly more.

“You know, I never thought I’d meet merfolk. I figured, you know, that you guys existed…” He shrugs, “But I never thought I’d ever see one of you.”

_You never should have. Bruce will kill me if he finds out._

“You don’t have to come out. I just thought I’d thank you.”

Tim blinks, confused.

The pirate grins, “I know you didn’t mean for me to see you, but I wanted to thank you. Because I’ve never seen something more beautiful in my life.”

Tim’s eyes widen and he ducks under the water, just enough to hide everything above his eyes (because it’s easier to hear him when he’s above water). He can feel his cheeks burning in unfamiliar embarrassment and the heat spreads to his ears as Todd laughs.

“Wow, ‘never thought you’d be shy. That’s adorable!” he eventually calms his laughs, silence stretching between them for a few moments. “My name’s Jason Todd. Just Jason, if you like.”

Oh. He blinks. He knew that humans have two names, but he…

 _Jason_.

Tim’s smile is small, but there, and he brings his head out of the water again. Captain Todd – Jason – smiles and Tim feels the urge to get closer.

He doesn’t, but he does stay there for a while, listening to Jason talk to him.


End file.
